 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Justice C. Bigler
Date: 2001-11-01 03:36
Okay, I'm a axophone player.
What is the difference between the Bohem fingering system and the German system? And the Full Oehler system?
I understand that the Bohem fingering system is what most clarinets use, as well as all concert flutes and all saxophones, but what is different about the other fingering systems on clarinet?
many great thanks,
Justice C. Bigler
musician and student
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Author: Eoin
Date: 2001-11-01 09:06
The traditional clarinet fingering system grew out of the recorder fingering. It was used more or less unchanged in the early clarinets, the intermediate Mueller and Albert clarinets and finally in the modern German System or Oehler clarinet. The Oehler is the ultimate in this series with all sorts of extra keys for getting trills and improving the tuning of notes. When people say German System, now, they usually mean Oehler. The G Major scale on a German System clarinet can be played by covering all the holes and then lifting one finger at a time, ending with the left thumb.
The Boehm system was invented around the mid 19th Century and is a major departure from the original/Mueller/Albert/Oehler system. In it, the F major key is played by covering all the holes and one key at the bottom, then lifting each finger in turn, ending with a high F with the thumb hole still covered. So the major difference between the two is that the fingerings which do Bb and F on a Boehm produce B natural and F# on an Oehler.
The other differences relate to the positioning of all the keys. The two systems have approximately the same number of keys, but they are in different places and are used for different notes. Both systems can produce just about any trill by the use of keys. Oehler system clarinets are arguably slightly better at playing in tune, but have more metal work so are heavier.
There are other differences between the two types of clarinet which do not relate to fingering.
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2001-11-05 16:40
Saxophone players may feel a bit more "at home" with a German system clarinet than with a Boehm, as the German system keywork (less complex ones, not necessarily a "full Oehler") is somewhat closer to that of a sax. Two keys for the right pinky, for example (and they actually do the same things!).
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